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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pass — a permit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. season — of the year
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lean — to bend
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — a leader
  18. kick — in football
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lean — thin
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com